The Calgary Stampeders host the Ottawa Redblacks in the second game of a home-and-home set Thursday. The Stampeders erased a 14-point deficit in the final 10 minutes of regulation to force overtime, but Rene Paredes missed a short field goal to win it in the first OT session, and they had to settle for a 31-31 tie - their second stalemate with the Redblacks in the last three regular-season meetings.

Calgary is 24-3 at home since the start of the 2014 season, including 9-0 in 2016, and hopes to continue its dominance at McMahon Stadium by upending the defending Grey Cup champions in the budding rivalry. Ottawa was left with a bittersweet feeling after going to overtime for the third time in the last four meetings with Calgary. The Redblacks were seemingly in control up by two touchdowns before Brendan Gillanders' fumble in the fourth quarter changed the complexion of the game, but they were aggrieved by some controversial calls that were not overturned by the CFL Command Centre. "It's really unpredictable and it's hard to know how things are going to be ruled on a replay," Ottawa coach Rick Campbell told reporters. "But the reffing is the least of our worries."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS
LINE HISTORY: The Stampeders opened as seven-point home favorites for Grey Cup rematch v.2.0 and that spread was bet up slightly to -7.5. The total hit the betting boards at 58.5 and was dropped down to 57. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (0-0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/U): Trevor Harris started the season off with a bang as he completed 33-of-45 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns in his first game as the undisputed starter following Henry Burris' retirement in the offseason. Free agent acquisition Kenny Shaw, who set career highs with 77 receptions and 1,004 receiving yards with the Toronto Argonauts last season, exited the game with an undisclosed injury as did running back William Powell after rushing for 30 yards on five carries. "I don't think Powell's overly serious," Campbell told reporters. "Kenny Shaw too as it seemed more of a minor thing."
ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (0-0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS, 1-0 O/U): Bo Levi Mitchell, who won the Most Outstanding Player in 2016, threw for 376 yards and two touchdowns to become the fifth quarterback in franchise history to surpass 15,000 yards. Marquay McDaniel caught 10 passes for 114 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter because of injury, but he's expected to suit up Thursday, however the outlook is not as rosy for DaVaris Daniels, who suffered an arm injury after hauling in four passes for 90 yards and will miss the rematch. Running back/kick returner Roy Finch was suspended with immediate effect by the CFL after testing positive for a banned substance.

TRENDS:

* RedBlacks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.
* Stampeders are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0.
* Over is 4-0 in RedBlacks last 4 games overall.
* Under is 18-4 in Stampeders last 22 games in June.
* Over is 5-0-1 in the last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: The road chalk Redblacks are getting 54 percent of the action from users and the Under is picking up 51 percent of the totals wagers. View full consensus data for this matchup here.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Mitchell has thrown for more than 300 yards in 14 of his last 19 regular-season starts.
2. The Redblacks have lost three straight games in Calgary by an average of 30.3 points.
3. The Stampeders are 19-4-2 against East Division teams since the start of 2014.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

CALGARY – In a matchup that’s quickly developing into one of the greatest rivalries in the CFL, the REDBLACKS and Stampeders served up another classic on Thursday Night Football, as Calgary notched its first victory of the 2017 season with a 43-39 win.

Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns without an interception on 19-of-31 passing for the Stamps, including two touchdown passes to Kamar Jorden, while Trever Harris finished with 425 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 27-of-35 passing for the REDBLACKS.

The REDBLACKS became already the second team to feature three 100-yard receivers, with Greg Ellingson (133), Brad Sinopoli (111) and Diontae Spencer (107) all going over the century mark.

Meanwhile, third-year Canadian pass-catcher Lamar Durant had a team-high six catches for 126 yards for the Stampeders.

Harris showed no ill effects of a lingering hand injury from Week 1, opening the game with a bomb to WR Greg Ellingson down the left sideline. Though Ellingson turned on the jets and raced 80 yards to the end zone, a blocking foul negated the score and the REDBLACKS would settle for a field goal to open the game’s scoring.

After a penalty-plagued first drive, Bo Levi Mitchell and the Stampeders found their groove midway through the first quarter. After picking apart the REDBLACKS defence with passes to Lemar Durant and Marquay McDaniel, Mitchell found Kamar Jorden down the middle of the field, who plunged into the end zone for the game’s first major. A rare miss on the extra point by Rene Parades put the Stamps up by three.

Again Trevor Harris seemed to be in cruise control on the following REDBLACKS drive, calmly leading his team down the field and into the red zone. But Ottawa’s offence struggled again to find the end zone, settling for another three points and a tie game.

Following a stout defensive stand from the Stamps defence, including a big sack of Harris by DL Kashawn Fraser, Mitchell and the offence went back to work. After a defensive pass interference call moved the Stamps deep into REDBLACKS territory, rookie WR Marken Michel looked off two Ottawa defenders to score his first career CFL touchdown. Mitchell then found McDaniel with ease on the two-point conversion to give Calgary its first lead of the game.

Chaos ensued on the following REDBLACKS drive. After an apparent Trevor Harris fumble was recovered for a touchdown by the Stampeders, Ottawa successfully challenged the play, resulting in an incomplete pass. The REDBLACKS’ relief would be short-lived however, as Brett Maher’s punt was blocked on the following play.

Despite strong field position, Mitchell couldn’t find the end zone, and the Stamps settled for a Parades field goal.

The REDBLACKS answered with a field goal of their own, narrowing the deficit to eight points.

Ottawa got a game-breaking play from SB Diontae Spencer, who found a seam on a punt return, taking it to the house for a 96-yard touchdown. RB Mossis Madu plunged up the middle on the convert, and the game was once again tied headed to halftime.

A routine play on the Stampeders’ first drive of the half resulted in something spectacular, as back-up QB Andrew Buckley bounced a third-down QB sneak to the outside and dashed 60 yards to the end zone.

The Calgary defence got in on the fun on the following drive, as a fumble forced by DL Alex Singleton was recovered by Maleki Harris and returned 46 yards for a score.

After a Maher field goal cut into the Stamps lead, Harris went back to work. The REDBLACKS pivot completed four consecutive passes, the final to WR Brad Sinopoli, which he took 34 yards to the house for the score.

The back-and-forth continued into the fourth quarter, as Stamps rookie DB Tunde Adeleke took a Maher punt 57-yards for a touchdown; the second punt return TD of the game.

The REDBLACKS battled back once again, capping a drive with a 14-yard Madu scamper for a touchdown. But as was the case for much of the game, Calgary’s offence was too much for the REDBLACKS defence to handle, and the following Stamps drive saw Mitchell throw his third touchdown of the game, his second to Jorden.

Despite the long odds facing the REDBLACKS, their offence kept clicking, and it took Harris just one play to find Spencer down the left sideline, racing 65 yards for his second touchdown of the game.

In the end, though, it was too little too late, as some hard-nosed running by Jerome Messam helped the Stampeders melt away the final two minutes of the game.

After the two sides combined for 853 yards in a 31-31 tie a week ago, Thursday night’s rematch featured even more game-breaking plays and a combined 870 yards to go with 82 total points. Thus concludes the regular season series between these clubs following three straight competitive matchups dating back to the 104th Grey Cup last November.

The Stampeders take a 1-0-1 record into Winnipeg next weekend for a duel with the Bombers. The REDBLACKS, still seeking their first victory of 2017, will head back to Ontario where they’ll host the new-look Toronto Argonauts.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

BRITISH COLUMBIA (0 - 1) at TORONTO (1 - 0) - 6/30/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 91-64 ATS (+20.6 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 68-45 ATS (+18.5 Units) in road games off a division game since 1996.
TORONTO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 20-37 ATS (-20.7 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 52 since 1996.
TORONTO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-2 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 2-2 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

MONTREAL (1 - 0) at EDMONTON (1 - 0) - 6/30/2017, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 4-0 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 4-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

**********************

CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 2

BC Lions (0-1) @ Toronto (1-0)— Road team won five of last six series games; Lions won five of last six games in Toronto, winning last three by 16-2-3 points. Under is 8-4 in last dozen series games. Lions lost at home to Edmonton LW on a FG with 0:02 left, after trailing 20-11 after third quarter- they ran ball for 130 yards, most in CFL in Week 1, but were outgained 420-394. Argos threw ball for 506 yards in 32-15 win over Hamilton, holding TiCats to 258 yards.

Montreal (1-0) @ Edmonton (1-0)— Both teams won close games last week, Alouettes by point over Saskatchewan, Edmonton by FG in Vancouver. Eskimos won their last six games with Montreal, winning last three matchups here by 17-18-11 points. Over is 8-2-1 in last 11 series games. Als were outgained 401-332 LW- their 233 passing yards were fewest in CFL. Eskimos kicked FG with 0:02 for win in Vancouver last week, after blowing 20-11 4th quarter lead.

7:00 PMBRITISH COLUMBIA vs. TORONTO
British Columbia is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of British Columbia's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing at home against British Columbia

10:00 PMMONTREAL vs. EDMONTON
Montreal is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Edmonton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 8 games when playing Montreal

TORONTO — Even with the other intriguing storylines around the Canadian Football League in Week 2 — the third rendition of the Ottawa-Calgary rivalry, a rivalry showdown to open up Saskatchewan’s new stadium, etc. — the most entertaining matchup of the week from a football standpoint might be in Toronto, where the Argonauts will host the BC Lions on Friday night.

The Argos began the Marc Trestman/Jim Popp era with a veritable dismantling of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 1, and are out to prove that last week’s performance was no fluke. Ricky Ray’s career day turned heads around the league, while the Toronto pass rush hounded Tabbies pivot Zach Collaros all afternoon. All things considered, it was a promising debut for the Double Blue and they’ll look to build on it.

On the BC side of the matchup, Wally Buono’s team played well enough to beat the Edmonton Eskimos on home turf last week — they just didn’t. A wild final minute that included Lions kicker Ty Long’s convert miss and a 76-yard bomb from Mike Reilly to Brandon Zylstra handed the Eskimos the win on a walk-off Sean Whyte chip shot.

“We know right now that Toronto with Ricky Ray is a very good football team. On the road, we’re going to have to be at our best,” BC head coach Wally Buono told BCLions.com. “After Saturday’s game, you’ve got to think that (our players’) intent is going to be different, their aggressiveness will be different.”

So it goes: The Argos are trying to establish themselves as a legitimate threat in the East Division, while the Lions are looking to shake off last week’s last-minute rollercoaster of a loss.

Buono and his troops understand the Toronto team they’re facing on Friday is much different from the one they edged out, 16-13, in their last trip to BMO Field in August 2016.

“They played very well (against Hamilton),” said Buono of his team’s Week 2 opponents. “It was very evident watching it on TV, and later watching it on tape — they were aggressive in all facets of their game, (and) that’s they team they’re going to be. They’re going to challenge you.”

BC defensive coordinator Mark Washington, whose unit struggled at times against Reilly and the Eskimos, knows his defence will have to be better against Ray and co. at BMO Field.

“Our execution has to be precise,” said Washington, a former defensive back with the Alouettes (1997-2002) and Lions (2003-2007). “We can’t blow coverages, we can’t blow contained assignments and things like that — we know the beast we’re facing this week in Toronto.”

While Toronto didn’t showcase much of a run game against Hamilton, and Argos’ four-time East Division All-Star Brandon Whitaker has been ruled out of Friday’s contest, Washington and the Leos are wary of the Double Blue ground game.

“They didn’t run the ball much (last week), but we know better,” said Washington. “We know Whitaker and (James) Wilder are very good backs — we have to finish drives and take advantage of opportunities when we get them.”

For his part, BC quarterback Jonathon Jennings is optimistic about his offence despite coming under significantly more pressure than any other CFL pivot in Week 1.

“We have full confidence in those guys up front,” said Jennings, who was sacked a league-high five times in BC’s opening-week loss. “We’ve got to all focus on the small details and play with some passion and fight — I’m proud to be behind those guys.”

Jennings threw for a quiet 264 yards — with no touchdowns or interceptions — last week and knows the Argo defence will bring pressure.

“They’re a tough team playing with a passion behind them, and that’s the sign of a good team,” said the Saginaw Valley State alum. “You’ve got to start quick, (and) obviously we didn’t do that this past game. We have to execute and just find ways to make plays.”

It remains to be seen who will handle kicking duties for the Lions on Friday; both Ty Long, who missed a 42-yard attempt and a pair of converts against Edmonton, and Swayze Waters were rostered on Wednesday. BC will scratch one of the two on game day.

Toronto looked solid on both sides of the football in its 32-15 win against rival Hamilton, but head coach Marc Trestman insists his team won’t take anybody or anything for granted.

“I think we have too much respect for the people that we’re playing each and every week to be overconfident,” Trestman told Argonauts.ca. “I don’t think you can be that self-indulgent and play the game, either as a team or an individual.”

The new-look Argos defensive line registered a league-high five sacks in Week 1 against Zach Collaros and the Ticats, and will look to take advantage of a BC offensive line that struggled in its opener.

Newcomers Victor Butler (2) and Cleyon Laing (2), formerly of the New York Giants and Ottawa REDBLACKS respectively, were responsible for the majority of Toronto’s penetration.

“I love that (the CFL) is a passing league,” said Butler of his transition to the game north of the border. “There were a lot of adjustments, but it helps when you’ve got titans of the defensive line like Shawn Lemon (and) Cleyon Laing in the room, helping you.”

For Butler, a former Dallas Cowboy (2009-12), the controversial figure of Lemon has been nothing short of a superlative leader.

“I first met Shawn in mini-camp — he’d already sent me emails on film to watch and techniques, and that’s the sign of a great leader,” explained Butler. “A guy who was helping me transition to make the team better.”

With Brandon Whitaker sidelined by an injury, Florida State product James Wilder will make his first CFL start at running back for the Argos.

“It’s important we keep (Ricky Ray) off his butt, keep his jersey clean,” said Wilder, who at 6-foot-2, 232 pounds brings an added element to the blocking game. “If we get him going, our offence will run good.”

As for what he expects from the Lions, the ex-Seminole expects speed.

“From what I’ve seen, a smaller, faster team,” said Wilder. “They rally to the ball, (so) we have to protect the ball, protect the quarterback and we should be pretty good.”

PREVIEW
RAY LOOKS TO KEEP HOT HAND VS. JENNINGS, LIONS
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CFL.CA STAFF
TORONTO — Even with the other intriguing storylines around the Canadian Football League in Week 2 — the third rendition of the Ottawa-Calgary rivalry, a rivalry showdown to open up Saskatchewan’s new stadium, etc. — the most entertaining matchup of the week from a football standpoint might be in Toronto, where the Argonauts will host the BC Lions on Friday night.

The Argos began the Marc Trestman/Jim Popp era with a veritable dismantling of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 1, and are out to prove that last week’s performance was no fluke. Ricky Ray’s career day turned heads around the league, while the Toronto pass rush hounded Tabbies pivot Zach Collaros all afternoon. All things considered, it was a promising debut for the Double Blue and they’ll look to build on it.

On the BC side of the matchup, Wally Buono’s team played well enough to beat the Edmonton Eskimos on home turf last week — they just didn’t. A wild final minute that included Lions kicker Ty Long’s convert miss and a 76-yard bomb from Mike Reilly to Brandon Zylstra handed the Eskimos the win on a walk-off Sean Whyte chip shot.

“We know right now that Toronto with Ricky Ray is a very good football team. On the road, we’re going to have to be at our best,” BC head coach Wally Buono told BCLions.com. “After Saturday’s game, you’ve got to think that (our players’) intent is going to be different, their aggressiveness will be different.”

So it goes: The Argos are trying to establish themselves as a legitimate threat in the East Division, while the Lions are looking to shake off last week’s last-minute rollercoaster of a loss.

Buono and his troops understand the Toronto team they’re facing on Friday is much different from the one they edged out, 16-13, in their last trip to BMO Field in August 2016.

“They played very well (against Hamilton),” said Buono of his team’s Week 2 opponents. “It was very evident watching it on TV, and later watching it on tape — they were aggressive in all facets of their game, (and) that’s they team they’re going to be. They’re going to challenge you.”

#CFL This Week gets first look at Canada 150 jerseys

#CFL This Week: Fantasy Fix for Week 2

BC defensive coordinator Mark Washington, whose unit struggled at times against Reilly and the Eskimos, knows his defence will have to be better against Ray and co. at BMO Field.

“Our execution has to be precise,” said Washington, a former defensive back with the Alouettes (1997-2002) and Lions (2003-2007). “We can’t blow coverages, we can’t blow contained assignments and things like that — we know the beast we’re facing this week in Toronto.”

While Toronto didn’t showcase much of a run game against Hamilton, and Argos’ four-time East Division All-Star Brandon Whitaker has been ruled out of Friday’s contest, Washington and the Leos are wary of the Double Blue ground game.

“They didn’t run the ball much (last week), but we know better,” said Washington. “We know Whitaker and (James) Wilder are very good backs — we have to finish drives and take advantage of opportunities when we get them.”

For his part, BC quarterback Jonathon Jennings is optimistic about his offence despite coming under significantly more pressure than any other CFL pivot in Week 1.

“We have full confidence in those guys up front,” said Jennings, who was sacked a league-high five times in BC’s opening-week loss. “We’ve got to all focus on the small details and play with some passion and fight — I’m proud to be behind those guys.”

Jennings threw for a quiet 264 yards — with no touchdowns or interceptions — last week and knows the Argo defence will bring pressure.

“They’re a tough team playing with a passion behind them, and that’s the sign of a good team,” said the Saginaw Valley State alum. “You’ve got to start quick, (and) obviously we didn’t do that this past game. We have to execute and just find ways to make plays.”

It remains to be seen who will handle kicking duties for the Lions on Friday; both Ty Long, who missed a 42-yard attempt and a pair of converts against Edmonton, and Swayze Waters were rostered on Wednesday. BC will scratch one of the two on game day.

Toronto looked solid on both sides of the football in its 32-15 win against rival Hamilton, but head coach Marc Trestman insists his team won’t take anybody or anything for granted.

“I think we have too much respect for the people that we’re playing each and every week to be overconfident,” Trestman told Argonauts.ca. “I don’t think you can be that self-indulgent and play the game, either as a team or an individual.”

The new-look Argos defensive line registered a league-high five sacks in Week 1 against Zach Collaros and the Ticats, and will look to take advantage of a BC offensive line that struggled in its opener.

THE ARGO DEFENCE SHOWED UP BIG IN A WEEK 1 WIN OVER HAMILTON (DAVID CHIDLEY/CFL.CA)

Newcomers Victor Butler (2) and Cleyon Laing (2), formerly of the New York Giants and Ottawa REDBLACKS respectively, were responsible for the majority of Toronto’s penetration.

“I love that (the CFL) is a passing league,” said Butler of his transition to the game north of the border. “There were a lot of adjustments, but it helps when you’ve got titans of the defensive line like Shawn Lemon (and) Cleyon Laing in the room, helping you.”

For Butler, a former Dallas Cowboy (2009-12), the controversial figure of Lemon has been nothing short of a superlative leader.

“I first met Shawn in mini-camp — he’d already sent me emails on film to watch and techniques, and that’s the sign of a great leader,” explained Butler. “A guy who was helping me transition to make the team better.”

With Brandon Whitaker sidelined by an injury, Florida State product James Wilder will make his first CFL start at running back for the Argos.

“It’s important we keep (Ricky Ray) off his butt, keep his jersey clean,” said Wilder, who at 6-foot-2, 232 pounds brings an added element to the blocking game. “If we get him going, our offence will run good.”

As for what he expects from the Lions, the ex-Seminole expects speed.

“From what I’ve seen, a smaller, faster team,” said Wilder. “They rally to the ball, (so) we have to protect the ball, protect the quarterback and we should be pretty good.”

By The Numbers:

0 – Number of home wins in the BC-Toronto series dating back through the 2014 season.

18 – Points scored by Toronto K Lirim Hajrullahu last week (5 FGs, 3 converts) — the most of any player in the CFL in Week 1.

130 – Rush yards for BC in Week 1, best in the league.

506 – Passing yards for Ricky Ray and the Argos in Week 1, 130 more than any other team.

The Skinny:

The Lions need to have a strong bounce-back performance to atone for last week’s disappointing home defeat against Edmonton, while the Argos need to build on their decimation of the rival Ticats last week if they want to be seen a legitimate contender in the East.

While Toronto enters Friday’s contest as a slight favourite, keep in mind that it’s been four years since a home team won a game between these two squads (July 20, 2013: TOR 38, BC 12). Then again, with newer faces — Loucheiz Purifoy in orange and black, Cleyon Laing, James Wilder, etc. in double blue — dotting the matchup, perhaps history ought to be thrown out the window.

These are two teams with designs on the 105th Grey Cup, but both have plenty to prove between now and November to convince the rest of the league of their credentials.

Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET and can be followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker or seen on TSN and ESPN2.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

EDMONTON — The Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos will look to continue their winning ways when they square off at Commonwealth Stadium in game two of a CFL Friday Night Football double-header.

Both the Als and Esks head into Week 2 with a tally in the win column after a pair of impressive wins that went down to the wire.

Montreal pulled out a nail-biting 17-16 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in front of a hometown crowd to open the 2017 season. Darian Durant made a statement against the team that let him go in the off-season by throwing for 233 yards and two touchdowns while B.J. Cunningham had a game-high 90 yards on four catches and one touchdown.

Defensive back Jonathon Mincy was named the third Shaw Top Performer for Week 1 after he knocked down two passes and also intercepted another, all while shutting down dangerous Riders receiver Duron Carter.

The win did come at a price for Alouettes as their defensive backfield took a beating. Defensive back Greg Henderson is out indefinitely with what’s been reported as a broken bone in his hand while Travis Hawkins sustained an arm injury early in the second half to leave another gap in the secondary.

Defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe knows that with a couple of changes to his defensive backfield, his group must step up this week against a tough Eskimos’ offence.

“We’ve got our challenges up front,” Thorpe told MontrealAlouettes.com. “They do a great job of protecting their quarterback. Mike (Reilly) has done a nice job of distributing the ball all over the field. He loves the deep ball. They love the deep throw…. This is a very well coached offence.”

Ryan Phillips will make his Alouettes debut at halfback this week after missing most of training camp and the regular-season opener with a hamstring injury. The 34-year-old spent 12 seasons with the BC Lions before being released last winter.

The Alouettes also added more depth at quarterback by signing Drew Willy to a one-year contract on Monday. The Toronto Argonauts released the 30-year-old pivot during training camp this year after acquiring him via trade with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in September for a first round pick. He is currently on the one-game injured list.

The Esks are also coming off of a thrilling win after Sean Whyte split the uprights with zeros on the clock to lift the Edmonton Eskimos to a 30-27 victory over the BC Lions in Week 1. The Lions erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game up at 27 apiece with only 40 seconds left. Reilly refused to crack under pressure, finding Brandon Zylstra on his first throw of the drive for a 76-yard gain to set up the game-winning field goal.

Reilly led the way by completing 20-of-28 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns. His offensive arsenal did not disappoint, sending a message to the rest of the league in Week 1 that their young core will be hard to contain. The sophomore, Zylstra, racked up 152 yards on seven catches. It didn’t take long for Eskimos’ rookie D’haquille Williams to make an impression in the CFL, either, making four catches for 110 yards and a touchdown in his debut.

“He’s a guy who’s going to continue to improve more and more as me and him get on the same page and build chemistry and confidence,” Reilly told Esks.com. “Just in the little bit of time we’ve been able to work together you can see, as a quarterback, he gives you confidence to put it up in his area and more often than not he’s going to come down with it. That’s a huge advantage for a team.”

The Esks proved that their passing game isn’t the only part of their offence that should be feared as John White rushed for 104 yards on 17 carries.

While both sides of the ball are clicking early in 2017 for the Green and White, the Esks enter Week 2 with a large hole to fill on their defence after middle linebacker J.C. Sherritt ruptured his Achilles tendon in the second quarter. The defensive captain will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

The Eskimos have since signed Alex Hoffman-Ellis, who reunites with the team that let him go this past off-season, but the veteran linebacker won’t suit up in Friday’s contest. Korey Jones gets the start for the Esks while Reilly says that the rest of the team will have to pick up the slack in Sherritt’s absence.

“J.C. is a tough guy to replace,” Reilly said about the team’s defensive captain. “Physically he is very talented but what he brings to this football team in terms of leadership and confidence for other guys, that’s hard to replace. But he’s still going to provide that, even though he’s not physically going to be out there on the field.”

Kickoff is slated for 10:00 p.m. ET and can be followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker or seen on TSN.

PREVIEW
ALS, ESKS SEARCH FOR SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON
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CFL.CA STAFF
EDMONTON — The Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos will look to continue their winning ways when they square off at Commonwealth Stadium in game two of a CFL Friday Night Football double-header.

Both the Als and Esks head into Week 2 with a tally in the win column after a pair of impressive wins that went down to the wire.

Montreal pulled out a nail-biting 17-16 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in front of a hometown crowd to open the 2017 season. Darian Durant made a statement against the team that let him go in the off-season by throwing for 233 yards and two touchdowns while B.J. Cunningham had a game-high 90 yards on four catches and one touchdown.

Defensive back Jonathon Mincy was named the third Shaw Top Performer for Week 1 after he knocked down two passes and also intercepted another, all while shutting down dangerous Riders receiver Duron Carter.

The win did come at a price for Alouettes as their defensive backfield took a beating. Defensive back Greg Henderson is out indefinitely with what’s been reported as a broken bone in his hand while Travis Hawkins sustained an arm injury early in the second half to leave another gap in the secondary.

Defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe knows that with a couple of changes to his defensive backfield, his group must step up this week against a tough Eskimos’ offence.

“We’ve got our challenges up front,” Thorpe told MontrealAlouettes.com. “They do a great job of protecting their quarterback. Mike (Reilly) has done a nice job of distributing the ball all over the field. He loves the deep ball. They love the deep throw…. This is a very well coached offence.”

Ryan Phillips will make his Alouettes debut at halfback this week after missing most of training camp and the regular-season opener with a hamstring injury. The 34-year-old spent 12 seasons with the BC Lions before being released last winter.

The Alouettes also added more depth at quarterback by signing Drew Willy to a one-year contract on Monday. The Toronto Argonauts released the 30-year-old pivot during training camp this year after acquiring him via trade with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in September for a first round pick. He is currently on the one-game injured list.

The Esks are also coming off of a thrilling win after Sean Whyte split the uprights with zeros on the clock to lift the Edmonton Eskimos to a 30-27 victory over the BC Lions in Week 1. The Lions erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game up at 27 apiece with only 40 seconds left. Reilly refused to crack under pressure, finding Brandon Zylstra on his first throw of the drive for a 76-yard gain to set up the game-winning field goal.

Reilly led the way by completing 20-of-28 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns. His offensive arsenal did not disappoint, sending a message to the rest of the league in Week 1 that their young core will be hard to contain. The sophomore, Zylstra, racked up 152 yards on seven catches. It didn’t take long for Eskimos’ rookie D’haquille Williams to make an impression in the CFL, either, making four catches for 110 yards and a touchdown in his debut.

“He’s a guy who’s going to continue to improve more and more as me and him get on the same page and build chemistry and confidence,” Reilly told Esks.com. “Just in the little bit of time we’ve been able to work together you can see, as a quarterback, he gives you confidence to put it up in his area and more often than not he’s going to come down with it. That’s a huge advantage for a team.”

The Esks proved that their passing game isn’t the only part of their offence that should be feared as John White rushed for 104 yards on 17 carries.

While both sides of the ball are clicking early in 2017 for the Green and White, the Esks enter Week 2 with a large hole to fill on their defence after middle linebacker J.C. Sherritt ruptured his Achilles tendon in the second quarter. The defensive captain will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

The Eskimos have since signed Alex Hoffman-Ellis, who reunites with the team that let him go this past off-season, but the veteran linebacker won’t suit up in Friday’s contest. Korey Jones gets the start for the Esks while Reilly says that the rest of the team will have to pick up the slack in Sherritt’s absence.

“J.C. is a tough guy to replace,” Reilly said about the team’s defensive captain. “Physically he is very talented but what he brings to this football team in terms of leadership and confidence for other guys, that’s hard to replace. But he’s still going to provide that, even though he’s not physically going to be out there on the field.”

Kickoff is slated for 10:00 p.m. ET and can be followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker or seen on TSN.

The Alouettes have become notorious for their strong defensive play under the guidance of Thorpe. Montreal gave up the second-fewest points (17) in Week 1 and only gave up 233 yards in the air. The Als will have a tough task this week in Edmonton’s high flying offence. It will be crucial for Montreal to control the Esks’ run game and contain Whyte on the ground.

Edmonton’s offensive line gave up only one sack to the BC Lions last week on a play that Reilly admitted was on him and had nothing to do with the coverage he was provided. To put that in perspective, the Lions were tied for the league lead in sacks last year. The Alouettes’ front four will have to win the battle in the trenches and find a way to get to Reilly against the Esks’ ferocious five.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

Ricky Ray completed 32-of-41 passes for a career-high 506 yards, which was 18 yards shy of the single-game franchise record set by Tobin Rote in 1960.

BC Lions at Toronto Argonauts (-3, 54)

The Toronto Argonauts look to build on their impressive season-opening victory when they host the BC Lions on Friday. The new-look Argonauts thumped the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 32-15 in the Battle of Ontario to send a message to the rest of the East Division that they are legitimate contenders after finishing 5-13 in 2016, and hope to take another step forward by beating the Lions at home for the first time in nearly four years.

"It feels good to get off to a start like this," Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray told reporters. "It gives us confidence moving forward." The Lions opened the season with a heartbreaking 30-27 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos at BC Place. BC mounted a spirited comeback to erase a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, but lost on a last-second field goal, and hope to bounce back by beating the Argonauts in Toronto for the fourth straight time. "It will be a great challenge as Ricky Ray, Marc Trestman and Jim Popp are all great football minds," BC linebacker Solomon Elimimian told reporters. "The biggest thing for us is to play our game which is fast and physical football."Trestman and Jim Popp are all great football minds," BC linebacker Solomon Elimimian told reporters. "The biggest thing for us is to play our game which is fast and physical football."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2
LINE HISTORY: The Argos opened as 1.5-point home chalk against the Lions and that spread has been bet up to an even three. The total hit the betting board at 55.5 and was quickly bet down to 51, before rebounding up to 54.5.
ABOUT THE LIONS (0-1 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U): Elimimian made five tackles against the Eskimos to set a franchise record with 610 combined tackles while Nick Moore caught five passes for 98 yards in his first game since undergoing knee surgery last July. Ty Long missed a field goal and two extra points, including a convert with less than 60 seconds remaining, filling in for an injured Swayze Waters, who is expected to play Friday after suffering a thigh injury in training camp. Jeremiah Johnson, who rushed for 809 yards in 11 games last season, gained 92 yards on 14 carries to go along with a touchdown against Edmonton.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS, 0-1 O/U): Ray completed 32-of-41 passes for a career-high 506 yards, which was 18 yards shy of the single-game franchise record set by Tobin Rote in 1960. DeVier Posey seems poised for a breakout year after catching seven passes for 147 yards and a touchdown while high-profile free-agent signing S.J. Green caught seven passes for 124 yards in his first game since tearing his ACL with the Montreal Alouettes on June 30, 2016. Starting defensive back Josh Mitchell was forced to leave the game with a knee injury in the third quarter and is likely to miss Friday's clash.

TRENDS:

* Lions are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog of 0.5-3.0.

* Lions are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss.

* Argonauts are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall.

* Lions are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings in Toronto.

* Under is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings in Toronto.
CONSENSUS: The home chalk Argos are getting 57 percent of the action from users and the Over is picking up 52 percent of the totals wagers.EXTRA POINTS:

1. Three of the last four meetings have been decided by three or fewer points.

2. Ray needs three touchdown passes to become the sixth player in CFL history to reach 300.

3. The Lions went 7-1 against East Division opponents in 2016.

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Montreal Alouettes at Edmonton Eskimos (-8, 50.5)

The Edmonton Eskimos host the Montreal Alouettes on Friday in a series that has been one-sided of late. The Eskimos have won six straight meetings with the Alouettes, including the last three games at Commonwealth Stadium by an average of 15 points, and hope to continue their dominance after opening the season with an exhilarating 30-27 victory on the road over the BC Lions.

Sean Whyte kicked a short field goal as time expired, but the victory came at a cost as star linebacker J.C. Sherritt ruptured his Achilles tendon and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Montreal had to sweat out a game-winning field goal attempt by Tyler Crapigna, whose kick sailed wide right, to squeak out a 17-16 victory in Darian Durant's debut with the Alouettes. Durant, who spent the previous 11 seasons in Regina, celebrated wildly after the final whistle and hopes to lead the Alouettes to their first win against Edmonton since a 47-24 triumph Oct. 5, 2013. "I think we did a pretty good job but we left a lot of yards and a lot of points out there," Durant told reporters. "We have the potential to be a very good offence if we can put it all together."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS
LINE HISTORY: The Eskimos opened as nine-point road favorites against the Alouettes and that line has been bet down to a eight. The total hit the betting board at 52 was bet down to 47.5 and has since been bet back up to 51.
ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 O/U): Durant completed 20-of-31 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns against his old team while B.J. Cunningham caught four passes for 90 yards and a score. Montreal signed free agent quarterback Drew Willy, who has thrown for 8,539 yards and 39 touchdowns in 46 games in the CFL, after he was released by the Toronto Argonauts earlier in July. "We're always going to solidify that spot," Montreal general manager Kavis Reed told reporters. "If anything catastrophic were to happen to Durant we want to make certain that we have a seasoned guy around."
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (1-0 SU, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U): Mike Reilly, who led the CFL with 5,554 passing yards in 2016, continued where he left off last season as he threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions. Brandon Zylstra was the main beneficiary of Reilly's big night as he caught seven passes for 152 yards, including a 76-yard grab that set up Whyte's game-winning field goal as time expired. John White rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown while Duke Williams, who starred for Auburn University, hauled in four passes for 110 yards and a touchdown in his CFL debut.

TRENDS:

* Alouettes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog.

* Over is 4-1 in Alouettes last 5 games following a straight up win.

* Over is 8-2 in Eskimos last 10 games following a straight up win.

* Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings in Edmonton.

* Alouettes are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: The road dog Alouettes are getting 60 percent of the action from users and the Over is picking up 51 percent of the totals wagers. View full consensus data for this matchup here.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Edmonton has won five consecutive regular-season games against East Division opponents.

2. Montreal WR Nik Lewis needs 18 more receptions to become the fourth player in CFL history to reach 1,000 for his career.

3. Whyte has made 21 consecutive field goal attempts.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Eskimos outdueled the Montreal Alouettes in the second half to pick up a 23-19 win at Commonwealth Stadium in the second game of a Friday night double-header.

Adarius Bowman shone in the Esks win with 117 yards on nine catches and a touchdown

The Alouettes got off to a fast start in enemy territory, striking first on the board after capitalizing on an Eskimos turnover.

Mike Reilly threw a lateral ball off to running back John White, who bobbled the pass. The fumble was recovered by John Mincey to set up the Alouettes drive in Eskimso territory at the 50 yard line. After going two-and-out on their first two drives, Darian Durant found momentum with his offence by connecting with Tiquan Underwood and Nik Lewis. Durant capped off the drive by finding Underwood again in the end zone to take a 7-0 lead.

The Eskimos gave up their second turnover of the quarter when John Bowman stripped the ball from White and recovered his own forced fumble on the Eskimos 37 yards line. White was injured on the play and carried off the field by his teammates. He did not return. The Als were unable to fully capitalize on the field position and settled for a short 13-yard field goal from Boris Bede to take a 10-0 lead heading into the second quarter.

Edmonton missed another valuable opportunity midway through the second quarter on second and goal when Reilly went deep to Brandon Zystra in the endzone. The second year receiver could not bring the pass down and Esks settled for a Sean Whyte field goal for their first points of the night.

Edmonton and Montreal both split the uprights again before the end of the quarter for a 13-6 Alouettes lead heading into halftime.

After a first half filled with turnovers and dropped passes, the Eskimos finally got into a rhythm during the third quarter.

Running back Travon Van, who replaced the injured White, provided a momentum shift for the Eskimos on the team’s first drive. Van burst into the end zone and bulldozed over two Alouettes defenders before crossing the plane for an 11-yard rushing major. Whyte struck the field goal post on the extra point attempt that would have tied the game, leaving the score at 13-12.

The Als and Esks exchanged field goals before the start of the forth quarter, including a career-best 55-yard strike by Wyite, to head into the final 15 minutes separated by a single point.

Edmonton took their first lead of the game off of an Alouettes turnover when Durant’s pass was intercepted by Kenny Ladler and returned deep into Montreal territory on a play that turned out to be a turning point for the Esks. A few plays later, Reilly connected with Adarius Bowman for the Eskimos first passing major of the game. A successful two-point convert put the Esks up 23-16 with just over ten minutes remaining.

The Alouettes cut into the Esks’ lead with a 45-yard field goal by Bede to narrow the gap to four points with three minutes to go.

But that was as close as Montreal would get as the Esks controlled the clock the rest of the way to hold on for the win.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

— Steph Curry re-signs with Golden State for five years, $201M. Staggering.

— Paul George was traded to Oklahoma City Friday nite, for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Western Conference keeps getting stronger. Thunder drop from 80-1 to 40-1 to win the ’18 NBA title.

— Tony Snell re-signs with the Bucks; four years, $46M.

— Minnesota traded Ricky Rubio to Utah for a 2018 #1 draft pick.

— Astros are 54-27; in 2013, they were 51-111.

— Over/under on the number of hot dogs eaten by the winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dot Eating contest on Tuesday is 68.5. Yes, people wager on this stuff.

Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here…….

13) Late Thursday night, White Sox led New York 4-3 in top of 7th. NY had two outs, bases empty and Aaron Judge was up, with Didi Gregorius up next.

Chicago manager Rich Renteria walked Judge intentionally, even though the bases were empty and Gregorius was the go-ahead run. Gregorius grounded out on the first pitch.

This was the third time this season a batter was walked intentionally with the bases empty; Andrew McCutchen and Anthony Rizzo were other two, NL players, so I’m guessing those were extra inning games with the pitcher up next and no extra hitters left on the bench.

12) Joe West was umpiring first base in Milwaukee last night; bottom 4th, 0-0 game, and a ball that seemed to be thrown from the upper deck drilled West in the back of the head. West pulled the Marlins off the field, the game was delayed for about 10 minutes. Don’t think the culprit was identified.

11) Apparently David Price got into a verbal altercation with NESN TV analyst Dennis Eckersley on the Red Sox’ flight from Boston to Toronto Thursday night. No one is saying much right now, but this would be the second time this year Price has had a problem with a media member.

If you’ve got thin skin with the media, playing in Boston isn’t a good place for you.

10) Bartolo Colon was DFA’d by the Braves this week; his big league carer started the same day Turner Field opened in Atlanta, so he actually lasted longer in the majors than a stadium did.

There is a chance some team (the Mets?) will still give Colon one more chance to pitch in the big leagues, but it also could be the end of a stellar career.

I’ll never forget the night Colon won a game for the A’s in Anaheim; at one point, he threw 38 consecutive strikes, just changed speeds all the time, with tremendous location. He has been great fun to watch.

9) Steph Curry is a 2-handicap in golf; he got a sponsor’s exemption to play in a web.com event this weekend in Nashville, a spot that an aspiring pro could’ve used. Lot of the pros were not amused by this.

8) Random observation and not a complaint: You know what never happens anymore? At the end of an inning, no one ever rolls the ball back to the mound- they toss the ball in the stands instead. Back in the day, catchers just rolled the ball back to the mound after a strikeout that ended an inning.

7) Is it tough being a comedian? A guy like Will Ferrell, Bill Murray, when they’re out in public, I’m guessing people approach them a lot, then expect them to be funny, but they’re people just like us and have cruddy days sometimes. Can’t always be easy.

6) Klay Thompson signed a 10-year, $80M deal with Chinese brand Anta to wear their sneakers and apparel. Thompson’s brother Trayce got called up again by the Dodgers this week.

5) Sign of the times; Rhode Island changed its foreign tour plans from a London/Paris trip to a trip to the Bahamas from August 7-13.

4) Brewers’ utility guy Nick Franklin got thrown out of a game he wasn’t playing in in the first inning the other night; the next day, Milwaukee TV guys casually mentioned that manager Craig Counsell wasn’t happy with the ejection, since it left the Brewers’ bench short for the rest of the game.

Shortly after that, Franklin was DFA’d; Friday, he got traded to the Angels.

3) Phillies’ OF prospect Nick Williams made him MLB debut last night; he is from Galveston, TX and was a WR on his HS football team, but he wasn’t the #1 WR. Mike Evans was the #1 WR- he is one of the better WR’s in the NFL now, with the Buccaneers.

2) Whoever decided the All-Star break should be four days instead of three deserves a raise; players are getting tired now, you can see it. Giving them a 4-day break is a solid idea.

1) Westgate Casino in Las Vegas now has a food court in the sportsbook, which I’m looking forward to visiting next month. There is no better place in Las Vegas to watch games/eat than the Westgate. #2, in my mind, is the South Point Casino.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

The Bombers should be ready to go coming off a Week 1 bye. This will be the first chance to see a retooled offense featuring Matt Nichols at quarterback. Wide receiver Weston Dressler figures to be one of the biggest targets in the passing game and the addition of running back Andrew Harris before the start of the 2016 season gave this offense an added dimension it had been missing in previous years. He ended the year ranked third in the CFL in total rushing yards (974).

The Roughriders knew that they could not afford a slow start out of the gate on the heels of just five SU victories last year, so the pressure suddenly gets dialed up this week in a key West Division matchup. Saskatchewan turned to quarterback Kevin Glenn to help fix an offense that was dead last in the league last year in scoring with an average of 19.4 PPG, but he ended Week 1 of this season with 298 yards passing, but just one touchdown throw against one interception.

Betting Trends

-- The Blue Bombers have won four of the last five meetings SU, but they fall to 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against Saskatchewan. The total has gone OVER in five of the last seven meetings overall.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....